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Chelsea agree €19m deal for Xabi Alonso's next signing
5 Aug 2026 09:50 BST |
4 min read
Analysis
Chelsea are close to signing Marc Cucurella’s replacement, with Xabi Alonso taking the Stamford Bridge side in a new direction with a €19m deal for Pep Chavarria.
The Ray Vallecano star is set to become the Blues’ fifth summer signing and will offer the London side a fresh dimension on the left.
Earmarked as a priority target for Xabi Alonso, the 28-year-old wing-back will join Chelsea for an initial €19 million, Ben Jacobs reports. Bonus payments could be made on top of this figure, with previous reports from Spain indicating that the total package could be worth up to €25m.
Compared
Pep Chavarría
D (L)
Pep Chavarría
D (L)
Rayo Vallecano
VS
Marc Cucurella
D (L)
Real Madrid
Marc Cucurella
D (L)
Real Madrid
|
|
ETV |
|
| €8.5M - €11.5M | ETV Range | €37.2M - €45.5M |
| 28 years old (10 Apr, 1998) | Age | 28 years old (22 Jul, 1998) |
|
Spain
|
Nationality |
Spain
|
Jacobs states that the deal is not done yet, but the finalisation of the transfer is “close”.
Chavarria made 44 appearances across all competitions for Rayo last season and joins Chelsea as a potential replacement for Marc Cucurella.
The Spaniard is expected to compete with Jorrel Hato for the left-back berth at Stamford Bridge next season, while he could also be deployed as a wing-back if Alonso opts to move away from the 4-2-3-1 formation that he has favoured during the early weeks of pre-season.
Chelsea had also been linked with a move for former star Lewis Hall, amid his uncertain future at Newcastle United, but they are now set to sign Chavarria instead, which could pave the way for Manchester United to sign the England defender.
Chavarria changes everything on the left flank
The signing of Chavarria is further evidence of Chelsea’s desire to move away from the profile of signing young prospects.
At 28 years old, he is a player packed with experience having ground his way to the top level via two years at Real Zaragoza and then four more at Rayo Vallecano.
He is best suited to a wing-back role as he is exceptionally quick and possesses strong stamina.
Compared to Cucurella, he is much more of a ball carrier who is prepared to make overlapping runs to get crosses into the box. Conversely, Cucurella tended to play narrower and had more of a tendency to create opportunities for his team-mates.
Last season in league play, Chavarria delivered 20 key passes compared to 36 from Cucurella, yet over twice the number of crosses.
This suggests that Chelsea will play with more width and adventure when he is involved in the starting XI. Conversely, Hato is likely to be involved when Alonso wants to play in a more defensive style, either in a conservative 3-5-2 or with four defenders.
Chavarria is, therefore, not a like-for-like replacement for Cucurella but instead is a player who will offer Alonso a valuable alternative to what he already has in his armoury at Chelsea.
His arrival also provides evidence of the Spanish manager driving a more pragmatic transfer strategy that will see more experienced, though arguably less glamorous, names arrive at the club.
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